


i love you 3000

by cherryhyucks



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Bad Jokes, Coping, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Humor, I Don't Even Know, Lee Jeno is Whipped, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Moving Away, Na Jaemin is Whipped, Sexual Tension, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, They're both oblivious, if you squint you can see happiness, johnny is jaemin's best friend, lots of sad moments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 11:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18827992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryhyucks/pseuds/cherryhyucks
Summary: what happens when you and your best friend get ripped apart after you spent your entire lives together?How do you even cope?Well just ask these two.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first NCT fic wowowowowow i hope i do this justice. I saw them in sanjose on friday and ever since then i've just been in a whole neoworld as cringy as that sounds. But seeing them changed my life and honestly im just really excited!!! 
> 
> But anyways here we go!
> 
> The soulmates nomin au no one asked for.

Jeno and Jaemin had been friends since they could ever remember. There was nothing that could separate them. For as long as they’ve known each other there has never been a single day of rain, a single cloud in the sky. It was clear weather and smooth sailing and never a dull moment. 

That was. Until now.

“Wait mom what do you mean we’re leaving? We can’t leave! I’m not even finished with high school please just keep me here two years!” jaemin pleaded. He felt like his entire world was falling apart and he needed to do something to stop it all. 

“Baby we have to move. Your father found a better job that’s going to sponsor him over there. Plus we get to have a citizen status so you get have a job and save for college.” She says as she continues packing up all their things.

“But i don’t want college i want to stay here with jeno and donghyuck. This is fucking ridiculous you’re making me move with you guys when you know damn well jeno’s parents can take care of me!! Why can’t i just stay with them?” He yelled. His emotions were getting the better of him and he knew this. He couldn’t help it though. The thought of being away from his best friend was too much to handle for him. 

“NA JAEMIN.” his mother yelled, slamming a glass to the floor. “We are moving to america and you have no choice! Either get packing or deal with having nothing when we get to america is that understood?” 

The two stood there, the air, tense as they glared at each other. Jaemin blinked away his tears as he slowly nodded, walking back to his room. 

He absolutely hated this. He honestly felt like his entire world is being torn apart and set ablaze and nothing felt safe anymore. He couldn't handle not being with jeno. He couldn't fathom the fact that he couldn’t be near him, laugh with him, cry with him. He went into his room and began packing, putting in his headphones and blocking the world out. 

He had most of his things packed before pulling out his phone and began texting jeno.

Nana: Yah jeno, can i come over?  
Nana: It’s important please.

Acorn: Yeah sure! It’s really sudden but  
Acorn: we’re just making dinner right now  
Acorn: why what’s wrong? 

Nana: Just… i’ll be there in 3.  
He sent the text and put on his favorite hoodie, looking at his door and then escaping out of the window. 

Jeno heard a small tap at the window to find the boy looking glossy eyed and smiling sadly. He was worried for his best friend because he had no idea what was happening. He walked over to the window to unlock it and open it for his friend. 

“Hey na-” Jeno began before being tightly hugged. He blinked in confusion as he looked down at the male and heard the sobs.

“I’m moving to america.” Jaemin hiccuped. There was a long pause, jeno feeling his heart break as he heard this. His eyes began to fill with tears and his mouth ran dry.

“Wh-what do you mean america? This has to be a joke. Some trick right? Please say sike.” Jeno tries to bargain but the sobs from the other only confirmed his worst nightmare. He’d be living his life without his best friend. Someone he’d lived his entire life with.

Up until now.

“My parents said i’m not allowed to stay with you for some reason. They wont tell me why and it’s just..” Jaemin clutched harder onto jeno, jeno doing the same back. “I won’t be able to come back. I can’t visit… my parents are giving me a total lockdown from you and i don’t know why.” 

Jeno holds his friend in his arms, silent tears streaming down his face as he hears everything. There was no way jaemin would’ve ever just leave without telling jeno and jeno knew this. A part of him wanted to hide jaemin away at his beach house in busan, to make sure that he would never be found by his parents so he could have him all to himself. Another part knew he would have to let go of jaemin someday, to see him happy with someone else, to live in a world knowing that his best friend was on his own living a life, fulfilled and without him. 

He just… never thought it would be so soon.

“When do you leave?” Jeno asks.

“This friday. I’m gonna be switched to a grade higher in my new school so we’ll be graduating at the same time.” Jeno nodded and sighed. He pulled jaemin back, cupping his cheeks and using his thumbs to wipe away the boy’s tears. “You don’t have anything to worry about okay? If your mom asks where you are say you’re at donghyuck’s house okay? We’re gonna keep you here till you leave.” 

“My mom’s gonna know something is up.” Jaemin mumbles as he calms down.

“Not if we get you to donghyuck’s. She’s probably scared since you’re out of the house without her knowing. Now let’s get you over there.” He says as he makes eye contact with jaemin, fighting the urge to kiss his forehead. 

“Let’s go.”


	2. Chapter 2

That was a year and a half ago. Now today is may 14th and jaemin was sitting at the bench at the community college in oakland, trying to study for his japanese final. Not that he really needed the class but he took it for shits and giggles. He hasn’t gone back to korea since he left and hasn’t really thought about it once. He just turned 19 and into his first real year of JC. He was taking two language classes, 3 different dance classes and was on the swim team there. He took all his require classes within his from summer to end of senior year of high school so he didn't really have to worry about anything. Unlike his friends johnny, jaehyun and mark. The four of them were inseparable and wild at best. Somehow they replaced a big aching hole where his heart used to be. He managed to graduate with them despite knowing absolutely nothing about the culture or anything. It was a miracle that he managed to graduate top of his class. But despite all that he told his parents that he wasn’t mentally or emotionally ready to start college and now here he was. With his three best friends ready to have fun now that the semester was finally over after this final. 

“Fuuuuuck dude i’m so ready for this semester to OVER. I just wanna get to traveling already.” Johnny groaned as he banged his head on his advanced stats book. 

“Um, hey language.” mark hisses before putting down his notebook for his physiology class. 

“Uh-oh mamma mark is mad i cursed.” Johnny rolled his eyes as he takes out his wallet. 

“Jesus how many swear jars do you have for johnny alone?” Jaehyun asked. 

“Enough to pay for a year at berkeley.” Mark joked as he watched johnny put in a five. There was a small chorus of chuckling coming from the boys as they appreciated the broke college kid struggle. 

“Enough with all the traveling talk. Let’s get down to business. Have any of you guys found your soulmates yet?” Jaehyun asked. 

“Wow jae, never really pegged you for the gossip type.” Mark retorts back, continuously writing notes from his book and highlighting the important things. “Besides i don’t think any of us are getting close. Our soul marks don’t come till 20.” 

“I know that. I’m just asking because Johnny and I are already 20. You guys are just young.” Jaehyun teases, not even paying attention to the fact that johnny was trying to take his phone. Which, he succeeded in.

“Looks like someone found his soulmate.” Johnny looks up with wide eyes, the two other boys follow suit and crowd around jaehyun. “Spill the tea sis who’s the mystery person!” johnny exclaimed.

Jaehyun smacked the giant upside the head, clearly annoyed that he went snooping. Remember to change my password jaehyun thinks to himself.  
“His name is Kim Doyoung. He’s from south korea. We actually met a while back at a concert. He was following shinee to LA and i happened to be in the seat next to him. Well when the concert was over we ended up driving to his aunt’s house in koreatown. He ended up introducing me to his aunt and uncle and his two nephews who really took a liking to me. When i asked him why he brought me there, he said he didn't know. He felt that the universe was telling him to meet his family and that he just kind of knew from the moment he saw me that i was special. Low and behold when our marks showed up, it was our favorite color. Jade. I texted him about it and that’s how we knew.” Jaehyun sighs fondly remembering that night. “If i could go back and do it all over again please know that i would. It was truly a magical night that i never want to forget.” 

Jaemin listened to how the other spoke. It brought back memories of his own, causing him to tear up. The three boys looked over to the youngest and raised a brow. 

“What’s wrong?” mark asked. 

“Um.. nothing. Just… hearing you talk about your soulmate like that.. It reminded me of my best friend back in korea. I really miss him.” He says softly. The others grow quiet, a heavy silence befalling them as they remember how jaemin was when he first came to america. 

“You never talk about korea.” Jaehyun mentions. “Why?” 

Johnny and Mark shook their heads signalling that he made a bad call trying to ask. 

“It’s fine guys,” jaemin began. “I don’t really talk about it because it was a really painful separation. My best friend despite being born different months and 10 days apart, we conjoined at the hip since birth. Nothing could stop us from being friends. Not our parents, not our teachers, no natural disaster and not even ourselves.” 

“What was his name? What did he look like?” Mark asked curiously.

“He was a little taller than me. He had such piercing eyes that managed to melt into such a heart stopping eye smile. He had black hair then but it was really soft and rather thick. He had a strong facial structure and just about the cutest ears i’ve ever seen. He made everyone fall in love with him. Students, teachers, my family, his own family, our friends, strangers on the street-” 

“Even you?” 

Jaemin stopped dead in his reminiscing. Him? In love with his best friend? No way.

“No way. I didn’t ever think of him more as a brother. Sure i loved him but never like that. Plus he likes girls and i like girls so it’s bold of you to assume that i’m not straight.” Jaemin scoffed, his voice straining slightly, as if telling a different story. 

No one believed it. Not even for a second. But they chose not to talk about it as it seemed to be a little too painful for the younger. 

“We never found out his name.” Johnny egged on. 

“Oh.. right his name is jeno. Lee Jeno.” Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate as it was a text from his mother. He hadn’t seen the looks of complete shock and awe as he said the name of his old best friend as he began to pack his things to go home for an emergency. “I gotta go guys, my dad is in the hospital so i’ll be back okay?” and with that he got up and left.

The three of them looked at each other and as they realized just what was going on. “He’s friends with THE Lee jeno. The ceo of lee tech and entertainment industries lee jeno. Does he realize that his best friend is the heir to a billion dollar thrown?” johnny says.

“Well obviously he doesn’t and i’d much rather not have to spoil it for him because he may not believe us.” Jaehyun says.

“Okay but even then, has he completely gone american? Because he would’ve known this by now had he kept up with the korean news like our parents and every other korean person on campus does.” mark says. “Unless his mom is blocking him from seeing anything about korea?” 

“I’m kind of curious about their family history and why exactly they left. I mean obviously there was the reason jaemin told us but then you connect the dots and it’s almost like his mother wanted to get as far as possible away from korea. She even went as far as to give up their citizenships. No one does that without reason seriously. I think there’s some sort of conspiracy going on in that house of his.” Johnny says.

“Okay well stop sounding like korean moms from kdramas and get back to studying or else you’ll never get into berkeley. Understand? He needs to find out on his own and when he does we’ll be there for him. I might actually take him to korea with me when i go to see doyoung.” Jaehyun buts in.

“Would that be good for him though? I mean.. Even if he goes, it’s not like he can really see his friend anyway. Homie is busy as hell nowadays with the new VR game launch. It’s gonna be rough for him to make time with jaemin at all.” Mark says. 

“Well we’ll just see.” Jaehyun mumbles as he looks down at his phone, looking at the news that popped up on his phone about the man in question.


End file.
